LS Youth Lacrosse

Practice Plan for K – 1 – 2 – 3 grades

K – 2 : 60 to 80 minutes max

3rd: 95 minutes max

0 – 5:00Choke Up Pass

5:00 – 10:00PartnerPass

10:00 – 15:00KneePass

15:00 – 20:00ActivePass

20:00 – 25:00Cradling

25:00 – 35:00Ground Balls

-Back to Back

-2 on 1

35:00 – 40:00Water Break

35:00 – 55:00Shooting

-Coach toss right and left

55:00 – 70:00Scrimmage Drills

-4 v 3

-3 v 2

-2 v 1

-Keep Away

70:00 – 80:00Additional Scrimmage Drill

3rd Grade Only

80:00 – 95:00Controlled Scrimmage

-6 v 6

-4 v 4

LS Lacrosse Stick Skill Drills

  1. Choke-up on the Neck Passing(Chemotti)
  2. Both partners standing 25-30 yards apart
  3. Both men put top hand on the neck of their stick (top of the shaft)
  4. Must come over the top and keep hands away from the body or this is very difficult
  5. Once this is done successfully slide hand back to regular position
  6. Throw passes with no arc, straight line, in the BOX
  1. Partner Passing(Stagnitta, Chemotti, and Tambroni)
  2. Emphasize basics
  3. Lower hand away from the body
  4. Stick in the imaginary BOX above the shoulder
  5. Push / Pull on the stick
  6. THROWING MAN step toward target
  7. Over-hand throwing motion – stick rotates over the top in a circular motion like the hands of a clock
  8. RECEIVING MAN call out “HERE’s YOUR HELP”
  9. Stick in the “BOX”- at all times on the field
  10. Soft hands- like catching an egg
  11. Don’t stab
  12. Catch it like “THIRD EAR”
  1. Knees Passing #1 Two Knees / #2 One Knee(Chemotti)
  2. #1 One man on Knees, one man standing
  3. 20 yards away
  4. Standing man rolls ball back to kneeling man
  5. Kneeling man picks up the ball and throws from the knees
  6. KEY COACHING POINT- Rotate Torso and get hands away from the body
  7. Over-hand throwing motion – stick rotates over the top in a circular motion like the hands of a clock
  8. Knees do not move off the ground
  9. #2 Kneeling guy puts his stepping foot forward so he is on one knee
  10. 20 yards away
  11. Standing man rolls ball back to kneeling man
  12. Kneeling man picks up the ball and throws from the knees
  13. Must be far enough away to have to work hard to throw – to short and they will flip the ball off their shoulder
  1. Active Passing(Stagnitta)
  2. Progression of partner passing
  3. Moving forward and back moving towards ball and towards target
  4. Catch roll and throw
  5. “Here’s your help”
  1. Cradling - The head of the stick ALWAYS plays through the imaginary box over your shoulder. You should carry it there, throw from there and catch from there. That the number one thing we teach the young players. (Tambroni)
  2. 1st Progression- 1 Man –ball/no ball/ball & one hand/two hand
  3. One hand- “THIRD EAR”, keep ELBOW BACK – STRESS The head of the stick ALWAYS plays through the imaginary box over your shoulder
  4. Two hand- keep HANDS UP
  5. Gentle rocking motion
  6. Fingers and wrists
  7. 2nd Progression- Magic Hands
  8. Pass stick between hands
  9. Keep stick vertical
  10. 3rd Progression – Switch stick right to left two hands
  11. Use crotch to shield shaft
  12. Shuffle 5 yards and switch directions (repeat across field between cones)
  13. 4th Progression – Spinning Wheel Drill (Tambroni)
  14. Offense player with ball keeps one foot stationary
  15. Rotates around stationary foot while cradling and protecting stick
  16. Defensive player attempts to check stick
  1. Ground Balls (Stagnitta and Tambroni)
  2. 1st Progression- 1 Man -Coach roll out ball- scoop & return
  3. GBWG- “Ground Balls Win Games” learn it, live it, love it
  4. Call out “BALL”
  5. Both “BUTTS” low (stick Butt and man’s Butt get LOW)
  6. Scrape KNUCKLES
  7. Accelerate
  8. Bring it to your HEAD
  9. Listen to your stick (cradle with stick head by your EAR)
  10. Look up to pass (Always, Always, Always move the ball off a ground ball)
  11. 2nd Progression- Add breakout man (accelerate, listen to stick, look up to pass)
  12. Pass to breakout man
  13. Turn for Over the Shoulder catch
  14. Roll ball back to coach
  15. 3rd Progression- 1 V 1 ground balls – Start Back to Back
  16. Don’t RAKE
  17. Scoop through the ball
  18. Accelerate
  19. Listen to your stick
  20. Look up to pass back to coach or breakout man
  21. 4th Progression – 2 v 1
  22. Call man
  23. Call ball
  24. Make outlet pass after scoop
  25. Stay in passing lane
  26. Make two passes back to lines

Scrimmage Drills

7’s or 9’s: 4 v 3 or 5 v 4 from any point on the field….Start across the midfield line in 7 or 9 lines, 4 or 5 offense and 3 or 4 defense. Coach rolls out ground ball for offense. Gain possession make the first pass up field or to the opposite side of the field. (STRETCH THE FIELD) Don't do this drill from just one point on field, throw loose ball out to many different points. Emphasize draw a man and dump (Be like a magnet, attract a player) and then move ball quickly. Don't bunch up, Look for "ONE MORE" pass all the time. We should usually score a "LAY UP" goal. Do not dodge your man...you are a man up! Always try and get ball down the side through "X" if you can, which makes the defense turn their heads...MOVE THE BALL, and make the easy passes.

Circle the net: 3 v 2 or 4 v 3…have kids run around crease…coach rolls ball out in any direction... kids play uneven until a goal. After we pick up a ground ball move the ball to the opposite side of the field!!

Keep Away: 3 v 3 in the alleys, 3 v 3 in the soccer circle, 5 v 5 in the restraining box. Do this in two of these places during the 15 minutes. Have kids "show and go" ……."Show" or cut for the ball and then…. "Go" clear through for the next player. Draw and dump, Defense should try to take ball away, don't let them just cove their man, they must go to the ball and take it away...double team.

Keep away with fast breaks: 3 v 3 in the soccer circle….You can use two ends of the field. After three total (not consecutive until U-11's) passes (2 passes if a young group), the player who receives the final pass goes in on a fast break towards 3 defense, and 3 attack who are ready for the play. The remaining players are passed a ball by the coach and go down to opposite goal on a 3 v 2.

Virginia Breaks: Two teams. 3 v 2 ground ball on one side at midfield line. Team who picks up GB goes down to the offensive end on a fast or slow break. Emphasize getting the ball down the side through X on a slow break. Make sure we have cutters on the back side toward ball at X (time the cut). Perform the same drill with a 2 V 1 on the opposite side...same rules apply. This helps recognition of fast / slow breaks, GB's and pushing the ball.

Back side drill: 4 offense, 4 defense. Lined up in a square…each def player is playing an offense player. Coach rolls ball towards an offensive player (he should have a CLEAR advantage…TWO adjacent def players must go to ball and cannot get back into hole until off player passes ball....other players now play a 3 v 2...get the ball to the opposite side ASAP!!!!!

DEFENSIVE CONCEPTS AND SKILLS K-12
K-3 4-6 7-8 HS
Identifying man to cover, calling number, and staying with that man X X X X
Staying in front of man, and between man and cage X X X X
Being aware of both the ball and the man while covering man off ball X X X X
Using a poke check and body check to challenge feeds and shots X X X X
Not chasing man when he is far from the cage- bungee cord X X X X
Attacking the ball when your man receives pass, then returning to hole X X X
Ball-You-Man Triangle when off-ball (2 looks to man, 1 look to ball) X X X
Packing in the Defense and keeping sticks up in the passing lanes X X X X
Recognizing when a dodger beats his man and sliding to help (adjacent) X X X
Communicating with teammates prior to slide (Help right, help left) X X X
Communicating with goalie and teammate to execute second slide X X X
Protecting middle of the field, forcing dodgers from top down the side X X X
Playing top side against dodgers from behind cage, forcing underneath X X X
Using poke and drop step behind, and V-hold, wrap and chop at GLE X X
Recognizing ‘two hands a threat’ and using lift check to create turnover X X
Using crease slide to help teammate: timing slide, playing angles X X
After shot, sprinting upfield for outlet and using banana cuts down low X X X
Locating Goalie for help after picking up ground ball near cage X X X
Finding space with ball, curling from pressure, looking to redirect ball X X X
In 2 v 1- body to man, stick up and to ball side, delaying: “slow to go” X X X

In 3 v 2- playing ball aggressively, following stick back to ball X X X
In 4 v 3- playing adjacents aggressively with sticks in lanes, rotating X X X
In Fast Breaks- identifying point, delaying slide, holding triangle X X X
In 5 v 4, establishing box, recognizing when to initiate rotation X X
In EMD, keeping tight box, locking crease, keeping sticks up X X X
In EMD, understanding role in 4 man rotation, with coma slide X X
In EMD, shutting off attacker for passes or time during penalty X X
Using aggressive checks wisely to create turnovers X X
Understanding responsibilities during rides: hard, soft, and 10 man X X X
Recognizing spacing and system of dead ball and sideline clears X X X
Recognizing picks, communicating ‘switch’ or ‘stay’ or doubling X X

DEFENSIVE DRILLS K-3
Keep Away- stay with man, apply pressure
GB Clearing drill- have 1 v 1 gb behind cage- scoop, pass to goalie, break upfield
Alley races: 1 v1-work on staying in front of opponent- can’t go out of alley
2 v 2s- Have coach as open man- O gets open, D stays with
Monkey in the Middle- Keep stick up to knock down/intercept passes